Saturday, April 22, 2006

Colonial Plaza

Orlando, Florida - 1963

Here's a super-cool shot for your super-cool Saturday! This is a photo taken at Colonial Plaza (now the "Colonial Plaza Market Place") when it was still just a strip mall in the early '60s, before it was expanded into a full-fledged shopping mall soonafter. This picture is from a promotional book that was produced for the Minute Maid convention of 1963, entitled, "The Look of the Leader." And our mysterious "leader" appears to be on his way out of Colonial Plaza right now, striding confidently past the Howard store on the right, and the "Mode-O-Day" store on the left!

I really want to thank, Linda Bonvie, for e-mailing me this great photo, and the background details that go with it. I really appreciate the fun submission, Linda, thanks! And you're right; this guy does look like a CIA dude! Or a Man in Black. Maybe he had just taken care of some aliens in the mall. :)

A further point of interest: Along with the resemblance between the mysterious "leader" in the photo and a CIA spook, it's also worth noting that the Minute Maid "Look of the Leader" convention itself was being held precisely when JFK was assassinated. Coincidence? (Another convention souvenir is a mysterious key on a "Look of the Leader" key ring, but what it opens is anyone's guess.)

Awesome! I grew up near this place and this picture confirms my suspicions that this was at one time an outdoor mall. I read a book about the history of the mall and it said that a lot of outdoor malls were converted to indoor by slapping a roof on top and that the floors slant towards the middle for rainfall. I'm sure the man was headed towards the Tupperware Convention Center just down the street for his Minute Maid Meeting.